A recent survey that was conducted through telephonic interviews among 1,405 respondents across the states of Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan and Jharkhand reveals the precarious conditions of workers nearly 45 days after the announcement of COVID-19 lockdown. The report entitled Labouring Lives: Hunger, Precarity and Despair amid Lockdown tries to understand the extent (and depth) of job loss and hunger 45 days after the lockdown. Hunger and...

-PTI/ Livemint.com Rajasthan government has issued job cards under MGNREGA to the Migrant labourers who returned home during the lockdown, says Ashok Gehlot JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase employment limit under the MGNREGA from 100 to 200 days which would benefit 70 lakh families in rural areas of the state hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the Centre has started the 'Garib Kalyan...

-Down to Earth Distress among marginal farmers and unavailability of food to Migrant labourers has been largely ignored in Union government’s economic stimulus   Agriculture and allied activities are considered ‘essential’ and officially face no restriction to harvest and supply to the market, even in the middle of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. But an agrarian crisis stemming from systemic failures needs to be considered for immediate policy response. The current distress...

-India Today The bulk of migrant workers, nearly 51 percent were engaged in the construction sector, including cutting and polishing of stone, painting and making tiles. About 21 percent of Migrant labourers were found to be engaged in daily wage employment. Bhopal: A little more than half of the Migrant labourers who have returned to Madhya Pradesh from various parts of the country do not want to return to their work places...

-The Indian Express The report on money granted for work that was never done and employment that had never been created assumes significance as the state government has launched three schemes under MGNREGA, anticipating work demand from the nearly 5 lakh migrant workers who have returned home after lockdown hit livelihood in cities. Ranchi: A probe into work done under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in a block of...